Diego Simeone claimed that Real Madrid and Barcelona are unlikely to lose again this season, as he conceded it is normal for his Atletico Madrid side to feel pressure.
LaLiga leaders Atleti were frustrated on Saturday, as they failed to overcome 10-man Getafe and had to settle for a 0-0 draw.
Atleti had 72.7 per cent possession, their highest total in a LaLiga match since at least 2004-05, when Opta started to collect this kind of data.
David Soria was in superb form for Getafe, making seven saves – including a standout stop from Moussa Dembele – while Luis Suarez hit the post.
The result leaves Atleti six points clear of city rivals Madrid, though Barca would move within four points of Simeone's team should they beat Huesca on Monday.
Karim Benzema's double lifted Madrid to victory over Elche earlier on Saturday, and Simeone believes that neither of Atleti's title rivals will slip up again.
"We had the idea of winning again and continuing to have the advantage that we had," he told a news conference.
"The first half was not good, the game did not flow, there were no good transitions. In the second half the team improved and in the end had more chances to score.
"I maintain that the team is playing well, we have to be calm, it is a very difficult championship, Real Madrid and Barcelona are not going to lose any game from here until the end and we have to know what our path is."
Asked if Atleti were feeling the pressure, Simeone replied: "It is normal, we come almost the whole season being first.
"There are 11 games left, they said that Barcelona was bad but against Paris Saint-Germain they could have won, they have a new president, enthusiasm and Madrid always manages to get the games won.
"We try step by step to continue our way, game by game, and we have two monsters behind us with the idea of being where we are."
Atleti's focus switches, temporarily at least, away from LaLiga for the next few days, with the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Chelsea coming up on Wednesday.
Thomas Tuchel's team, who are still unbeaten under the German, lead 1-0 on aggregate thanks to Olivier Giroud's stunning strike in the first leg last month.
Everton 'can't keep leaking goals', says Dyche
Sean Dyche has criticised Everton’s ‘leaky’ defence following a second defeat after going two-nil up in back-to-back games.
Everton lost 3-2 to Aston Villa after leading by two goals after 30 minutes, having also lost 3-2 to Bournemouth after leading by the same advantage prior to the international break.
In doing so, Dyche’s side became only the second side in Premier League history to lose back-to-back games after leading by two or more goals in both.
Following Saturday’s defeat to Villa, Dyche feels his side are lacking the cutting edge at vital moments.
“Today, we make a mistake and they capitalise on it. I said to the players, the killer instinct in both boxes is what’s vital. The key moment was to go 3-1 up. We didn’t and we made a mistake, and they capitalised on it. We have to keep going,” he told Sky Sports.
“We’re making high-quality chances. At the minute, we’ve got to score as many as it takes to win a game. That’s been a challenge since I’ve been at the club. We can’t keep leaking goals like that.
“We’re having to manipulate the team. We have to keep believing in each other. You’ve got a responsibility to deal with it – and that’s what we have to do, including me.
“[The players] are an honest group. They’ve worked very hard and been through a lot. We are where we are, so they’re very disappointed. We have to respond. Before you know it, Tuesday will be upon us.”
Everton have struggled with injury so far this season and find themselves increasingly short at the back.
Vitaliy Mykolenko had to be substituted after 26 minutes against Villa due to injury and was replaced by James Garner, traditionally a midfielder.
“We’re certainly taking some knocks at the minute. Every mistake seems to be a goal, and every chance we don’t quite capitalise on,” reflected Dyche.
“Unfortunately we were on the wrong side of the margins again today. It’s a tough one to take, for different reasons than the last game. We’re down to a low squad anyway, so it’s been a challenge without a shadow of a doubt.”
Shakhtar CEO expecting big move for Sudakov
Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergey Palkin believes Giorgi Sudakov will go onto big things if he can produce more stand-out performances in the Champions League.
The 22-year-old is thought to be one of the rising stars in European football, having helped Shakhtar to the Ukrainian Premier League in the last two seasons.
He was also one of the standout players of Ukraine's Euro 2024 campaign, creating the third-most chances (four) and having the most shots (nine), though he failed to hit the back of the net as they exited in the group stage.
With the start of their next Champions League campaign just around the corner – they kick off against Bologna on Wednesday – Palkin is expecting big things from the young midfielder.
Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, Palkin said: "Everybody knows about Sudakov.
"I believe he is the new European star. Half a year ago, we had negotiations with Napoli. They proposed €40million. But we believe that he costs much more.
"Therefore, we believe that in this Champions League, he will show his best. Because he has the dream to play in a top-ranked European club.
"If he shows good football, I believe he will jump to this club".
Martinez: Duran can be 'the best in the world'
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez believes match-winner Jhon Duran can be “one of the best strikers in the world” after he scored a 30-yard screamer against Everton.
Duran completed Aston Villa’s comeback in a 3-2 win against Everton at Villa Park, having been two goals down to the visitors after 27 minutes.
The Colombian was subbed on after 69 minutes and scored just seven minutes later. All three of his goals this season have been winners from the bench, meaning he has now scored the most winners as a substitute in a Premier League season ever.
Having witnessed his decisive impact today, Martinez believes he can be one of the best in the game.
"I have seen it from behind and I saw the ball moving - it was unstoppable,” the Argentine told Sky Sports, referencing his goal.
"It was a great strike. We have been trying to help Duran in the Premier League and if he can keep the consistency, he can be a really big threat.
"He can be one of the best strikers in the world, but he needs to keep his feet on the ground and to work hard. He has one of the top strikers [Ollie Watkins] in England playing in front of him."
His fellow striker Ollie Watkins scored a brace to bring Villa level against Everton prior to Duran’s strike.
It was the first time he had scored for the club since April 2024, though he had clearly been getting in the right positions. Before his first goal of the game, he had the highest xG total (1.58) in the league among those yet to score.
Watkins had a shortened pre-season after starring for England at Euro 2024.
“There’s such a quick turnaround from the Euros. A lot of the boys are getting back up to fitness,” Watkins told Sky Sports.
“I’m not at 100%. I took some time off during the international break. I don’t want to miss too many matches, though.
“I’m disappointed I didn’t get the hat-trick. I should be coming off with the match ball, but I’ll settle for the two.
“We were obviously unlucky against Arsenal. We’re delighted we got [the win] today. Now we focus on the Champions League, which everyone is looking forward to.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
